


My Fault

by wolffairy506



Category: The Walking Dead
Genre: Idk if I should tag Maggie and the others, M/M, Spoilers for 6x16, post-negan encounter, theyre just seen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-12
Updated: 2016-04-12
Packaged: 2018-06-01 19:29:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6533455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolffairy506/pseuds/wolffairy506
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the encounter with Negan, Aaron returns with something a little off.</p>
            </blockquote>





	My Fault

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own AMC's 'The Walking Dead'
> 
> This is set after the Negan encounter - I believe it was Abraham who got the bat, but if I'm wrong, eh. That's just how I wrote this fic.

     Eric stood in the street near the entrance to Alexandria, his foot nervously jumping. Aaron and the others were supposed to be back hours ago. They said they'd be back before dusk of the second day. It was dusk now. The colors spread out across the street and painted the houses a soft coral. To the far East, Eric could see a cobalt sky dappled with silvery stars. His nerves chipped away at his patience.  _What could be taking them so long?_

     Then, at long last, the gates rolled open and admitted Rick and a few others - no car in sight. Rick's hair hung down in lank strips, his eyes hollow. Carl walked next to him, his hat tipped down, covering his eye. Eric's brown eyes raked over the group in a panic. He saw Eugene, his face bloodied and empty, Michonne and Daryl, both looking especially banged up, and Glenn and Maggie, clutching onto each other as if their lives depended on it. Sasha was crying - Eric didn't think he'd ever seen her cry; not like this, at least. At last, in the back, came tall, broad shouldered Aaron, bruised and empty-looking.

     When he saw Eric standing on the street, he broke into a flat out sprint for him. Eric lurched forward too, and they met with Aaron throwing his arms around Eric and crushing his mouth against his boyfriend's. There was an urgency about him that Eric didn't understand, but fell into. He grabbed at Aaron's blood soaked flannel as he kissed back intensely. The brunet cupped Eric's face with blood-stained hands, breathing heavily.

     It was Eric who pulled away, looking around nervously. The townspeople had never had much tolerance towards Aaron and Eric without all the PDA - God knew what they'd do if the couple started making out in the streets. 

     Only two people were giving the pair dirty looks, so Eric turned back to Aaron.

     "What happened?" He asked, taking Aaron's hand subtly.

     "N-Negan," he whispered, eyes dark. "He owns this group now... And-and to prove what he could do... He-" Aaron's voice cracked. "He did 'Enny Miny Miney Moe' to decide who's head to bash in... With his bat wrapped in barbed wire..."

     Eric stared at him, horror openly painted on his paling face. Aaron continued. "He- he picked Abraham, and... And beat him to death... In... In front of all of us. S-Sasha too."

     The ginger realized why Sasha must have been crying. She'd finally found love, but it had my just been brutally ripped away.

     "I... I let two people die on that trip," Aaron croaked. "Abraham... And... And a man Negan's group hung... I could have tried to break the chain... Or at least put him out of his misery... But... But Rick told me to save the bullets... So I let him die slow." Aaron wasn't crying. His eyes were far away and empty. It terrified Eric.

     He pulled the brunet by the hand. "Let's get you home," he said gently.

 

 

     "That man that died... He didn't die because of you," Eric told Aaron gently as they sat together on the couch. The brunet's posture was rigid and uncomfortable, his eyes distant. They suddenly turned cold.

     "Easy for you to say," he snapped, standing abruptly. "You've never seen the light go out of someone you were trying to help's eyes." He strode to the window and looked out of it for no apparent reason. His hands were clenched into fists.

     "You don't get it, Eric! You don't understand!" He growled, eyes not leaving the window.

     Eric stood and walked over to Aaron, gently setting a hand on his shoulder.

     The brunet jumped and jerked away violently. The ginger's eyes widened.  
"Aaron? What's wrong?" He asked tentatively; this Aaron scared him.

     The brunet whipped around, staring him right in the eyes. "What's wrong?!" He roared in Eric's face. "This whole time - _the whole time!_ \- I've tried to do nothing but good for people! I try so hard, to be a good person, and all it ever does is go bad! While I was out, TRYING TO HELP THE PEOPLE HERE IN ALEXANDRIA BY FINDING MORE PEOPLE, DARYL AND I GOT STUCK IN THAT TRAP!" Aaron was shouting so loud, Eric was positive that the neighbors could hear. "AND WHEN I TRIED TO SAVE DARYL, I LOST THE BAG! AND BECAUSE I DID, _HALF THE PEOPLE HERE_ GOT _MURDERED_! THEY ALL DIED BECAUSE OF ME!!" He screamed, eyes losing their flame. Eric could see it dying in his blue eyes. "They-they all died... Because of me," he said, voice cracking.

     For the first time about the Wolf Attack, tears ran down Aaron's face as it crumbled.

     " _They all died because of me,_ " he whispered, and Eric wrapped his arms around his anguished boyfriend. He pressed his face into Eric's shoulder and sobbed, back arching as he gasped for air. The ginger could feel the tears soaking the material of his shirt as he held Aaron. The brunet's muscles were slackened, letting Eric's wiry muscles support his weight. The ginger rocked Aaron slowly, running a hand through his curly hair like he knew Aaron loved.

     "Sh," he whispered, rocking the man he loved in his arms. "Everything will be okay,"


End file.
